Fire resistant glass partition

ABSTRACT

A fire resistant glass partition having at least one field formed of a multi-layer fireproof glass and equipped with fittings for fastening and/or closing elements. An end face of a pane is covered all around with an edge-gripping sealing profile of an elastic material which, at least in its region facing the end face of the pane, is provided with a material that foams under the influence of heat. The fitting components extending into the edge region are also covered by the sealing profile, with the total thickness in the enclosed region essentially corresponding to the total thickness of the pane. In this way it becomes possible for fire resistant glass partitions to also employ the panes as self-supporting structural components and to also make the joints fire resistant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a fire resistant glass partition having atleast one field formed of a pane of fireproof glass which is equippedwith fittings for fastening and/or closing elements.

2. Description of the Related Art

Fire resistant glass partitions have in the past been designed in such away that a sash was built of metal profiles into which a pane offireproof glass was inserted and held by appropriate glass holdingstrips. By appropriate cover of a fire resistant material on the facesof the metal profiles facing into a room, the required fire resistancewas then realized also for the region of the metal profiles. Thistechnique was employed for stationary glass partitions, glass partitionsequipped with glass doors, as well as for fire resistant glass doorsalone. Accordingly, the term "glass partition" in the sense of thepresent invention includes a simple fire resistant door which is formedby a single field of fireproof glass as well as multi-field stationaryglass partitions with and without doors. Such glass partitions have beenfound to be satisfactory, but do not quite meet modern architecturalrequirements with respect to large-area glass partitions.

Glass partitions of normal construction and employing so-called safetyglass are known to be constructed in such a way that the glass panes arefixed as self-supporting components in the wall, floor and ceilingregion. Adjacent glass panes are connected with one another by a thinpermanently elastic silicone putty joint. Any fittings that might berequired, particularly in the door region, for door strips, locks andhandles, are fastened in such a way that the glass pane is provided withholes and the fittings are fixed by through-going screws and clampingplates that rest on both sides. Even if fireproof glasses are employed,a glass partition of such a design does not meet the requirements placedon it as a fire resistant partition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide a fire resistant, sash-lessglass partition of the above-defined type.

This is accomplished according to the invention in that the end face ofthe pane is covered all around with a sealing profile made of an elasticmaterial that grips around the edges of the pane and is provided, atleast in its region facing the end face of the pane, with a materialthat foams when heat is applied and the sealing profile also covers thefitting components that project into the edge region, with the totalthickness in the enclosed region essentially corresponding to the totalthickness of the pane. Such an arrangement has the advantage that thepane can be employed as a self-supporting component, with the respectivejoint region, be it in the region of the wall, ceiling or floorconnection, be it in the region between two mutually adjacent fieldformed by panes, is designed in such a way that, in the case of fire,its fire resistance is ensured for the duration of the service life ofthe fireproof glass employed. In the case of fire, as soon as that partof the sealing profile facing the hot side is attacked or destroyed bythe heat, the foaming material is exposed to the heat and is thus ableto fully foam into the existing parting groove so that, for the intendedperiod of time, neither heat nor smoke is able to pass through to theside facing away from the fire. It is significant that the fittingslying on the glass pane in the region covered by the sealing profiletogether with the glass pane, of which the outer layer of the fireproofglass has been partially removed, corresponds to the total thickness ofthe multi-layer fireproof glass pane in this region. Thus, it ispossible to provide an uninterrupted continuous fire resistant seal evenon doors in which, in the case of fire, the foaming material seals thejoint. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the end face of themulti-layer fireproof glass is covered and is thus protected againstdamage, particularly against penetration of moisture or damage to theseal of the end face, as it may occur in doors. The above indicates thatsuch a partition, particularly a multi-field partition, even if itincludes a field in the form of a door, optically and thus in itsarchitectural concept, corresponds to a sash-less partition madeentirely of glass. Compared to prior art glass partitions equipped witha supporting sash structure, the sealing profiles defining theindividual fields can be made very narrow so that only the outlines ofthe individual fields just become visible.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that thesealing profile has an essentially U-shaped cross section, and anoutwardly oriented web-shaped projection which extends in longitudinaldirection is provided at at least one leg. While the U-shaped region ofthe sealing profile essentially serves to protect the end face of therespective pane, receive the foaming material and fix the sealingprofile itself to the pane, the continuous outwardly oriented web-shapedprojection serves to provide a seal with respect to adjacent faces. Thismay be the region of an adjacent building wall, including floor andceiling, but also a further adjacent stationary pane and/or an adjacentdoor. The shape and geometrical orientation of the web depends on therespective case of use.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that at least one web-shapedprojection at the sealing profile is made flexible. Such a flexibleprojection here acts in the manner of a sealing lip so that it liesagainst the adjacent sealing face with a certain inherent tension. It ispreferably provided that the flexible web-shaped projection begins at afree leg end of the U-shaped profile and extends in the oppositedirection to the leg.

As a further feature of the invention, it is provided that an abutmentweb is provided at at least one leg of the U-shaped profile in theregion where it is attached to the transverse web, with this abutmentweb projecting beyond the back of the U-shaped profile formed by thetransverse web, preferably being stiffer than the web-shaped projectionand continuous in the longitudinal direction. A sealing profile of suchconfiguration can be employed to seal the joint between two stationaryfields as well as to seal the joint between a stationary field and amovable field, that is, a door. The abutment web in this embodimentserves as a counter-surface for a flexible, web-shaped projection on thesealing profile of the adjacent field.

In another embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the U-shapedprofile is equipped with two abutment webs which, together with thetransverse web, form a U-shaped counter-profile. Such a sealing profileis preferably provided as a seal between two stationary fields. Theflexible, web-shaped projections of a sealing profile equipped with twoflexible web-shaped projections can then be pushed into a sealingprofile. If the region of both sealing profiles gripping around theedges of the panes are provided in a corresponding symmetricalconfiguration, it is possible to realize a perfect optical appearancewhich does not indicate that the seal of the joint between the twoadjacent panes is formed by two separate profiles. Another advantage ofthis configuration is that, as a feature of the invention, spacersand/or continuous stiffening elements can be inserted into the spacebetween the U-shaped counter-profile, on the one hand, and the sealingprofile. In this connection it is advisable to fill the remaining spacebetween the two pushed-together sealing profiles with a material thatfoams under the influence of heat.

Another feature of the invention provides that the fittings are providedwith clamping plates that can be screwed to the pane and over whoseedges projects the clamped-in portion of the pane while the clampingplates are covered by plate-shaped covers of a fire resistant, thermallyinsulating material. In this way, it is ensured that the invention, bythe removal of the exterior glass layers including the intermediatelayers connecting the glass layers, is compensated so that the panesurfaces including the fitting regions as a whole essentially have thesame fire resistance.

As a further feature of the invention, it is provided that the fireresistant, thermally insulating material is held in covering cartridgeswhose crimped-off edge extends to the edge of the pane and is enclosedby the sealing profile. This ensures that particularly the criticaltransition region is enclosed in the sealing profile and is reliablysealed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference toschematic drawings of embodiments thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a glass partition in the form of a double-wing door;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view along line II--II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view along line III--III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view along line IV--IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view along line V--V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view along line VI-13 VI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line VII--VII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 depicts a stationary glass partition;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along line IX--IX of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 depicts another embodiment of the arrangement according to FIG.9;

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view along line XI--XI of FIG. 13;

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view along line XII--XII of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 13 depicts the detail A of FIG. 8 to an enlarged scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts, in a front view, a fire resistant glass partition whosetwo fields 1 and 2 are configured as doors. Field 1 is here the movablewing while field 2 constitutes the stationary wing. Both wings are heldin the wall opening by way of a conventional frame 3.

Fields 1 and 2 are each composed of a continuous pane of a multi-layerfireproof glass and, as will be described in greater detail below, aremade without sashes.

As indicated by the horizontal sectional view of FIG. 2 for the frameregion of a pane made of three-layer fireproof glass, the pane isprovided all around with a sealing profile 4 that grips around itsedges. This sealing profile 4 has an essentially U-shaped cross section,with the two legs 5 and 6 gripping around the edge region of the pane.In the region of sealing profile 4 facing the end face of the pane, astrip 7 is inserted of a material that foams under the influence ofheat. The sealing profile 4 is now pushed on and held on the pane byglue and legs 5 and 6. In the case of fire, once the portion of theprofile on the side of the fire has been destroyed, the foaming materialdrives the remainder of the sealing profile 4 against frame 3, so thatthe joint between pane and frame remains tightly closed even in the caseof fire. To seal against drafts, the leg 6 of sealing profile 4 isprovided with a flexible, web-shaped projection 8 which begins at thefree leg end of leg 6 and extends in a direction opposite to the latter.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the lower hinge joint 9 offield 1 which is configured as a door wing. Hinge joint 9 is hereconnected with the pane byway of two clamping plates 10 and 11, with thetwo outer glass layers 12 and 13 of the fireproof glass having beenremoved in the region where clamping plates 10 and 11 cover the pane sothat clamping plates 10 and 11 are clamped to the thick center glasslayer 14 by continuous screw bolts as in a normal all-glass door.Clamping plates 10 and 11 have such a thickness that the total thicknessin this region corresponds to the total thickness of the fireproof pane.

The region of clamping plates 10 and 11 is covered on both sides by aplate 15 of a fire resistant material which, for reasons of strength andfastening, is itself held in a thin sheet metal cartridge 16. Sheetmetal cartridge 16 is screwed by means of screws 17 to clamping plate 10and clamping plate 11, respectively. The outer edge 18 of sheet metalcartridge 16 is here crimped away from the thick center glass pane 14and is pulled forward to the outer edge together with an intermediatelayer of material 15 so that this region is also covered by sealingprofile 4 and thus ensures an uninterrupted, continuous seal that isresistant to fire. Hinge joint 9 at stationary wing 2 is configured inthe same manner.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the lower hinge joint 9. Thissectional view reveals, on the one hand, the arrangement of a screw bolt19 that connects the two clamping plates 10 and 11 together. The bore 20through pane 14 is here advisably provided with a lining 21 which servesthe purpose of preventing direct contact between the edges of the screwthread and the interior of bore 20. Between the edge 22 of the exteriorglass layers 12 and 13 and the edge of the two clamping plates 10 and 11a space is provided which is also filled with a strip 23 of a fireresistant material. This material should, if possible, have such aconsistency that it simultaneously seals the sensitive intermediatelayer between the center pane 14 and each of the two outer glass layers12 and 13. For purely aesthetic reasons the sheet metal cartridge 16 inthe illustrated embodiment is covered by a decorative covering 24, forexample of aluminum. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper hinge joint isconfigured correspondingly.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the lock and handle region.Here again the fittings are fixed to the center pane in a similar mannerto the hinge joints by appropriate clamping plates 10 and 11 and passagebolts that are not shown in detail here. Clamping plates 10 and 11 areagain covered with fire resistant material 15, with lock 25 and lock box26 constituting the cover for fire resistant material 15 in the regionof the lock and lock box. On the other side, a cartridge-shaped cover 16and a decorative cover 24 are again provided.

As can be seen in the illustration of FIG. 6, the sealing profile 4 hasa somewhat different configuration in this region. The sealing profile4.1 enclosing the edge of pane 1 or pane 2, respectively, in itsvertical region, is provided, in addition to the flexible web-shapedprojection 8 described in connection with FIG. 2, with an additionalabutment web 27 that follows the transverse web 28 constituting the backof sealing profile 4.1 and projects beyond it toward the other side. Dueto having a correspondingly greater material thickness, abutment web 27is stiffer than web-shaped projection 8 so that, in the illustratedclosed position, the web-shaped projection 8 of the one sealing profile4.1 lies against the interior face of the stiffer abutment web 28 of theother sealing profile 4.1 and is deformed as indicated in theillustrated closed position. Otherwise, the configuration, arrangementand manner of fastening corresponds to that described in connection withFIG. 4.

The horizontal sectional view of FIG. 7 reveals that the two sealingprofiles 4.1 cover the door gap between movable wing 1 and stationarywing 2 without interruption from the floor to the ceiling. Here again,the material 7, which foams under the influence of heat and is disposedwithin the U-shaped region of the two profiles 4.1, closes the gap inthe case of fire.

FIG. 8 shows for further clarification a stationary, fire resistant,sash-less all-glass partition. In the illustrated embodiment, fields 1,2 and 3 are again constructed one-story high of panes made of fireproofglass of the above-described type. The vertical joints between theindividual fields 1, 2 and 3 are now sealed by way of sealing profiles4.1 as described already in connection with FIG. 7 for the embodimentaccording to FIG. 1 or in the manner shown in FIG. 9. Sealing profiles4.2 and 4.3 in the form shown in FIG. 9 constitute modifications of thesealing profiles 4.1 described in connection with FIG. 7. Sealingprofile 4.2 is here shaped in such a way that it has two abutment webs27 and thus forms a U-shaped counter-profile for profile 4.3 which inturn has a symmetrical configuration and is provided with two flexibleweb-shaped projections 8. Thus, the arrangement according to FIG. 9 hasa centering effect compared to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

Another advantage of the embodiment according to FIG. 9 can be seen inthe modification thereof shown in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, areinforcement 29, for example a metal rail, can be inserted into thespace defined by profile 4.2 and profile 4.3. Reinforcement 29 is thencovered on both sides by a strip 30 of a thermally insulating, fireresistant material which may also be a material that foams under theinfluence of heat. The shape of sealing profile 4.2 shown in FIG. 10 canalso be inserted as a connecting profile in the wall, floor or ceilingregion. Particularly in the floor region, the pane is then "blocked in"instead of the continuous reinforcement shown in FIG. 10, so that theweight of the pane is absorbed on the floor by way of the insertedblocks. Here again strips of the material that foams under the influenceof heat are inserted into the remaining cavities of the U-shapedcounter-profile so that, in the case of fire, the joint is sealedautomatically. Profile shape 4.2 is not limited to the illustratedembodiment. Abutment webs 27 may be given thinner walls particularly forsuch wall connection profiles, advisably with their outer contours,otherwise remaining the same so that webs 27 act in the manner ofsealing lips.

As shown in the vertical sectional view of FIG. 11 for the ceilingregion, the stationary fields of a glass partition can be screwed to theceiling by a fitting element provided in the floor and ceiling regions.Here again, fire resistance is attained with the aid of clamping plates10 and 11, which are covered in cartridges 16 by way of fire resistantmaterial 15. This fastening fitting 31 differs from the other fittings,particularly in that here the thick center glass pane 14 is also given arecess in its edge so that only a part of glass pane 14 is enclosed byclamping plates 10 and 11. The part of the recess along the edge is alsoreplaced by a block 32 of fire resistant material which is brought intothe edge region and is enclosed by the sealing profile in the prescribedmanner. With the aid of the block, the entire arrangement is screwed tothe ceiling or the floor so that the transverse forces are reliablyabsorbed there.

FIGS. 12 and 13 depict, in a cross-sectional view and in a top view, afastening element 33 as an enlarged representation of the detail A ofFIG. 8. Fastening element 33 approximately corresponds in itsconfiguration to fastening element 31 so that the sectional view of FIG.11 corresponds to the sectional view XI--XI of FIG. 13. Instead of afastening screw in a passage bore, a snap pin 35 supported by acompression spring 34 is guided in a bore in block 32 to snap into acorresponding bore in the wall of the building as this is evident fromFIG. 13 in conjunction with FIG. 12.

As shown in FIG. 13, the two covering panes 12 and 13 are cut out intheir corner regions to correspond to edge contour 36. The thick centerglass pane 14 is cut out to correspond to contour 37 so that clampingplates 10 and 11 can be clamped directly onto this pane.

We claim:
 1. A fire resistant glass partition comprising:at least onepane of a multi-layer fireproof glass having a fitting element, the panehaving edges with an end face at each edge, the fitting elementprojecting to an edge of the pane; and a sealing profile covering allend faces of the pane, the sealing profile being formed from an elasticmaterial for gripping the edges, the sealing profile having a regionfacing each end face of the pane, the region having a material thatfoams under the influence of heat, the fitting element being enclosed bythe sealing profile with a total thickness of the sealing profile andthe enclosed fitting element being essentially a total thickness of thepane.
 2. A fire resistant glass partition according to claim 1, whereinthe fitting element is a fastening element for fastening the pane to asupporting structure.
 3. A fire resistant glass partition according toclaim 1, wherein the fitting element is a closing element.
 4. A fireresistant glass partition according to claim 1, wherein the sealingprofile has a U-shaped cross section with two legs forming sides of theU-shaped cross section and a base forming a bottom of the U-shaped crosssection, and a web-shaped projection oriented outwardly from at leastone leg and being continuous along the at least one leg in alongitudinal direction along the sealing profile.
 5. A fire resistantglass partition according to claim 4, wherein the web-shaped projectionis made from a flexible material.
 6. A fire resistant glass partitionaccording to claim 4, wherein the web-shaped projection has a first edgeat an end of the at least one leg which is opposite the base of theU-shaped profile and which extends in a direction opposite the leg.
 7. Afire resistant glass partition according to claim 1, wherein the sealingprofile has a U-shaped cross section with two legs forming sides of theU-shaped cross section and a base forming a bottom of the U-shaped crosssection, and a first abutment web formed at the base of the sealingprofile projecting outwardly continuously in a longitudinal directionalong the sealing profile and in a direction away from an opening of theU-shaped cross section of the sealing profile.
 8. A fire resistant glasspartition according to claim 7, wherein the sealing profile is providedwith a second abutment web which, together with the first abutment web,forms a U-shaped counter-profile.
 9. A fire resistant glass partitionaccording to claim 8, wherein the U-shaped counter-profile formed by thefirst and second abutment webs encloses a stiffening element formedalong the longitudinal direction of the sealing profile.
 10. A fireresistant glass partition according to claim 9, wherein the stiffeningelement has a first edge and a second edge formed along the longitudinaldirection of the sealing profile, the first and second edges of thestiffening element being within the counter-profile, and at least one ofthe first and second edges of the stiffening element is covered with athermally insulating material that foams under the influence of heat.11. A fire resistant glass partition according to claim 1, wherein thefitting element includes a clamping plate fastened to the pane, theclamping plate being covered by a fire resistant material.
 12. A fireresistant glass partition according to claim 11, wherein the fireresistant material is held by a covering cartridge having a crimped-offedge extending to the edge of the pane and is covered by the sealingprofile.